BEST OF SAN FRANCISCO®  2003

AUSTIN HAS BETTER CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK. New York bars stay open later. And Chicago has the Cubs. But you live in San Francisco. And you know it’s the best damn city in the whole damn world. You know it when you stroll at midnight through the gates of Chinatown, and you can almost feel Hammett walk beside you. You know it when you order a cuppa at a North Beach coffeehouse where Kerouac once kibitzed, thinking his jazzy, half-mad thoughts. You know it when you saunter across the Golden Gate Bridge in the rain and feel freer than you ever thought possible. Once a year, we at SF Weekly suspend our usual practice of potshotting venal politicians and money-grubbing developers and simply sing our city’s praises. We honor the best of the best in the arts, entertainment, dining, and recreation. This is that issue. Enjoy it. — Jack Cheevers